The difference we make
Read for Good’s vision is for all children in the UK to be given the opportunity, space and motivation to develop their own love of reading. This will benefit them throughout their lives – for good. One of the reasons kids don’t read is lack of motivation. One of the things that motivates kids is helping other kids. Our simple (but brilliant) idea is to link the two.
And it works…
- some 3,000 schools are involved in our Readathon every year.
- encouraging almost one million pupils to love reading.
- all of the UK’s major children’s hospitals now receive regular deliveries of brand new books and storyteller visits, reaching 150,000 hospitalised children each year.
- schools receive 20% of whatever they raise back for their own library. In the last five years alone, we’ve given over £1million worth of free book vouchers to participating schools.

Numerous studies show that reading changes lives: from educational outcomes and social mobility to emotional well-being. And there’s ample evidence to demonstrate that enjoyment drives the core skill of reading and that motivation is an integral element of reading well. Our loop of children reading to help other children in hospital is both time-tested and ingenious, and helps achieve our vision.
We encourage children through our sponsored Readathon in schools, which helps us provide books for school libraries, and books and storytellers for children in hospital throughout the UK. Freedom of choice, reading without assessment and reading with purpose underpin the success of our work with children, meeting our vision.
We’re raising money and readers.